Worm gear housing



May 18, 1948. H. J. LOUNSBURY WORM GEAR HOUSING Filed Oct. 18, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Wenivr flarveyfLoamfbary Patented May 18 1948 Harvey J. Lounsbu'ry, Glen Ellyn, 111., assignor to ,W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Applicationoctober 18, 1946, Serial No. 704,192

This invention relates to improvements in hand brakes for railway cars. g 1

One object of the invention is to provide a hand brake mechanism of the power multiplying gear type enclosed within a housing adapted to be,

for operation both from the exterior and interio of the car, may be employed. I

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a mechanism as set forth in thepreceding paragraph wherein the enclosing housing is provided with bearing means adapted to accommodate a shaft having a hand wheel at one end thereof, arranged for operation from the interior of the car, or a shaft having a hand wheel at one end thereof arranged for operation from the exterior of the car, or a shaft having hand wheels at both ends thereof to provide for operation both from the interior and exterior of the car.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is an elevational view of my improved hand brake mechanism, illustrating the same applied to the end wall of a railway car, looking toward the right in Figure 2, and showing the mechanism arranged for operation from both the interior and exterior of the car. Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 2- -2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a view, similar to Figure 2, showing the mechanism arranged for operation from the exterior of the car only. Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the mechamsm arranged for operation from the interior of the car only. Figure 5 is a transverse, vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, partly broken away, correspondlng substantially to the line 5-5 of Figure 1. Figure 6 is a view,similar to Figure 5, showing the mechanism arranged for operation as illustrated in Figure 3. Figure 7 is a view, similar to Figure 5, showing the mechanism arranged for operation as illustrated inFigure 4. Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, corresponding substantially to the lin 8-8 of Figure4.

In said drawings, referring first to Figuresl, 2, and 3, l and l l designate the inner and'outer J returns. (01. 24-606) members of the vertical end wall of a railway car. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the improved hand brake mechanism arranged to be operable from both the interior and exterior of the car by means of the usual hand wheels, which are indicated by 12 and 13, respectively. Figure 3 illustrates the improved mechanism arranged for operation from the exterior of the car only, thesame being provided with a single hand wheel 14 at the outer side of the end wall of the car. In Figure 4, my improved hand brake mechanism is shown as operated from the interior of a car, the same being illustrated as mounted on the end wall of the car which is in the form of a single wall member 15,-the hand wheel by which it is operated being indicated by 16.

The operative parts of the mechanism are preferably enclosed in a housing 11, as shown infigures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the wall member ll being cut out or recessed, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 to accommodate the same, and the opening being closed by a cover in the form of a hood l8 engaged over the projecting portion of the housing and suitably secured to the wall member 11 by any well-known fastening means. As shown in Figure 4, wherein the brake mechanism is applied to a car having an end wall comprising the single wall member 15 and the housing I! which is directly secured to said wall, no covering hood is employed.

In carrying out my invention, the housing 11 is formed of two parts, 19 and 20, to provide for ready assembling of the brake mechanism, the housing being vertically divided, as shown in Figure 1. The parts or sections 19 and 20 of the housing together form a two-part chamber within which the parts of the brake mechanism are enclosed, the sections 19 and 20 being secured together by bolts or any other well-known fastening elements extending through outstanding flanges 21 and 22 on said sections.

The sectional housing 11 contains th mechanism for winding the usual brake chain, which mechanism is of the worm gear driven type of the character illustrated in my Patent No.

the clutch. The worm 25 is located within the housing above the worm wheel 24 and is rotatable 25. The section 29 is hollow to accommodatethe worm and is divided vertically, being formed part-' ly on each part I9 and 2B of the housing. .fIhe sec 7 tion 29 is open at the front and rear sidesofthe housing and presents cylindrical bearing sleeve portions 30-3fl at opposite ends thereof, which wbearing sleeve 30*, but terminates short of the outerend of the left hand sleeve, having its end are in axial alignment. Between the bearing sleeve portions 33-40, the section '29 is expanded or enlarged, as indicated at 3|, to accommodate the worm 25. Near the outer end thereof, each bearing sleeve portion 39 has an interior, annular .groove or channel 32 adapted to receive a suitable closure disc. hereinafter described. Asshownin Figures land 8, the plane of vertical .division'of the section-2911s to one side of the axisof the bearing portions -38-3fi, the portion of the section formed on the part2!) beingmore than half of said section. 7

Referring to Figures 1, 2, and-5, wherein the hand brake mechanism is shown as arranged to be operated from both the interior and exterior of the car, the worm is carried by a shaft'33, which is journaled in the bearing sleeves Bil-30,

the worm being located midway between the ends of the shaft and formed integral therewith. The shaft 33 has the hand wheels Hand [3 fixed to opposite ends thereof in any well-known manner,

thesame being shown as secured by nuts 3434 threaded on the ends of the shaft. A thrust washer or ring 31 is preferably interposed between the right hand bearing sleeve and the corresponding end of the worm 25,, as seen in Figure-5.

In assembling the parts of the brake mechanism, the shaft 33 and its integral worm member -25, -as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 5, are'placedin position within the part of thesectionES, which is onthe housing part 20, before thetwo housing sections are secured together, the shaft 33 being passed in lateral direction into the sectionsof the bearing sleeves 5d30 which are located-on the housing part 20. The-housing sections are-then secured together.

Referring to Figures 3 and 6, wherein'the hand brake mechanism is shown as arranged to 1106 operated from theexterior of the carionly, the

-wcrm2-5 is carried by a shaft 35 which is journaled in :thebearing sleeves 3El3ii,the wormT25 being integralwith the'shaft and located near theinner or right hand end of the same-as seen in Figured The shaft 35 extends entirely through the left hand bearing sleeveitl but terminates short of the outer end of the right hand sleeve; having its end disposed inwardly of the groove or'channel '32 of said sleeve. To prevent entrance'of foreign matter, the opening at the .outer end ofjthe right hand sleeve is preferably sealedrbyzaclosure member in the form of a disc'36 seated in ,theQannulargroove or channel 32; The shaft 35. carries the hand wheel [4 at its. outer or left hand end,

the handwhe'el being suitably securedthereto. to sheet rotation of the worm 25 toclrive .tlieworm wheel 24. .A' thrust washer 38,- similar .to .the

, washer 3] hereinbefore referredfto, is :preferably 4 arranged between the right hand bearing sleeve 30 and the worm 25.

Referring to Figures 4 and 7, wherein the hand brake mechanism is shown as arranged to be operated from the interior of the car only, the worm 25 is carried by a shaft 39, which is journaled in the bearing sleeves 30-30, the worm 25 being in- =tegraliwith the shaft and near the inner or left hand end of said shaft, as seen in Figure 7 The shaft extends entirely through the right hand disposed inwardly of the groove or channel 32 of .saidzsleeve. The opening at the outer end of the 'left handsleeve 3Ilis closed by a disc 40, identical with the disc -36 hereinbefore described, and

seated in.the..groove or channel 32. The shaft 39 carriesthe hand wheel It at the outer or right hand-end to which it is suitably secured to effect rotation of the worm 25.

.Theoperation of assembling the parts shown in Figures 3 and 6 and the parts-shown in Figures 4 and 7 is the same as-that described in connection with theparts shown in Figuresrl, 2, and 3.

I-,c1aim: j 1 .1. .Ina worm gearoperatedhand bralzemechanism having "a worm element meshing with a .wormwheeland a hand wheel-actuated shaft to which the worm element is fixed-the combination with atwopiece splithousing-enclosing the hand brake mechanism, said housing including a -splitextensionforrnedpartly on each piece of thehousing; of spaced axially aligned, front and rear tubular bearing sleeve members carried by said split extensionofthe housing; a chamber between the inner ends of said front and rear bearing v sleeves adapted to accommodate the .worm element with the portionsEof the hand wheel operated shaft at opposite .sides of said .)worm;element,jo.urnaled in said bearing sleeves respectively;:.an internal annular locking channel at the-outer end-of each'bearing sleeveyand a closure disc. adapted to'- be seated in either of said channels toseal theopening of the corresponding sleeve, saidextnsion of the housing accommodatinga hand. wheel actuated shaft extending entirelyJthrough said bearing sleeveswhen said closure disc is omitted. V a 1 .2. Ina worm gear operated brake mechanism,

thGJCQmbiHatiOH W-ith atwo part housing enclosingthebrakemechanism; of an. operating shaft having hand wheels atthe front and rear ends thereof; a worm element forming a part of the wormgearof the mechanism, saidI element being .fi-xed ftosaid shaft midwaybetween .the ends thereof .and an extension. on said housing comprising-front and rear bearing sleevesand an enlarged chamber .between-. said sleeves, said sleeves .and ;cha1'nber..being split lengthwise into two sectionsnsaidsectionsbeing formed on the respectivepartsof thetwopart h'ousingsaid sections .of..the s1eev,es-.embracinglsaid' shaft with the worm element thereof disposedlin said chamber, 1 each of. said bearin sleeves havingan internal, .annu-langroove at the. outer end thereof forming laseat; for .a. closure.Iliscadaptedto seaLthe end ofi. the corresponding. sleeve when operating .s-haft .having-.. aflhand. wheel at oneaendi thereof .only is substituted fortheLopeiatingshaft having :handWheels at,the.front-and rear ends.

.3... Inaworrmg'ear. operatedhand brake mecha- ..n i sm, the combination .witha two part housing enclosing said mechanism; of an operatingshaft havinga :handzwheel at-the front end thereof; a

'wormaelement forming-part'of the worm gear" of the mechanism, said element being fixed to the rear end portion of said shaft shaft in inwardly spaced relation to the rear end thereof; an extension on said housing comprising front and rear bearing sleeves and an enlarged chamber between said sleeves, said sleeves and chamber being split lengthwise into two sections, said sections being formed respectively on said two parts of the housing, said sections of the front sleeve embracing said shaft forwardly of said worm element, and said sections of the rear sleeve embracing the shaft rearwardly of said worm element, each of said bearing sleeves having an internal annular groove at the outer end thereof, said groove of said rear sleeve being beyond the rear end of the shaft; and a closure disc seated in said groove of the rear sleeve to seal the opening of the latter.

4. In a worm gear operated hand brake mechanism, the combination with a two part housing enclosing said mechanism; of an operating shaft having a hand wheel at the rear end thereof; a worm element forming part of the worm gear of the mechanism, said element being fixed to the front end portion of said shaft in inwardly spaced relation to the front end thereof; an extension on said housing comprising front and rear bearing sleeves and an enlarged chamber between said sleeves, said sleeves and chamber being split lengthwise into two sections, said sections being formed respectively on said two parts of the housing, said sections of the front sleeve embracing said shaft forwardly of said worm element, and

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,865,630 Haseltine July 5, 1932 1,950,618 Lounsbury Mar. 13, 1934 2,082,964 Lounsbury June 8, 1937 2,121,095 Olander June 21, 1938 

